Station indicator



Feb. A15, `1938. J. w. LEE

STATION INDICATOR Filed May l2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 15, 1938.. J w, LEE 2,108,718

' Y STATION INbICAToR Filed May 12, 193'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l ATTORN EYS Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to station indicators and has for an object to provide a sign including a traveling web displaying the names of stations on subway cars, passenger cars, buses and other passenger carrying vehicles and having novel means for reversing the direction of travel of the web when the vehicle reaches the end of its route.

A further object is to provide an indicator which can be full automatic or hand controlled and the .automatic controlling can be by closing of a door, photoelectric cell or other means of tripping the controlling switch.

A further object is to provide a station indicator of the type described having novel means for actuating the web to display the names of the stations successively, each station name being displayed prior to the .arrival of the conveyance at the station.

A further object is to provide a device of this. type which may be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel detailsY of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication,

Figure l is a front elevation of a station indicator constructed in accordance with the invention, with the housing removed to display the operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation looking toward the left end of the device.

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional View of the reversing solenoid and crank shaft operated thereby.

Figure 5 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the shiftable clutch member of one of the clutches.

Figure 6 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line of Figure 1 showing the shift ring and shift lever of one of the clutches.

:Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the clutches and contiguous end portion of the associated web roller.

lFigure 8'is a' vertical sectional View taken on the line 3 8 of Figure l with parts removed and showing the reversing switch controlled by the web.

Figure 9 is a detail side elevation of the timing switch controlled by movement oi a friction roller riding upon the web above the upper web supporting roller.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections of the various switches, motor, motor controlling relays, reversing relays, and reversing solenoid.

Figure 11 is a detail side elevation of a door operated switch for actuating the sign by movement of the door.

Figure 12 is a plan View of the web unrolled and showing the reversing switch contact carried by the offset ends of the web.V

For the purpose of clearness the housing for the station indicator is not shown but it will be understood that as usual in devices of this character the housing will have an opening in the front of sufficient magnitude to display the names of the stations one at a time.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various viewsflil and II designate superposed. rollers upon which a web I2 isv wound. The web is provided with legends I3 designating places on a route, for example.

Brackets I and I support the rollers at the ends, one of the brackets being provided with pins I8 which enter notches I'I in the ends of the rollers to rotatably support the rollers. Each pin is spring pressed by a helical spring I8 which is concealed in a housing I9 and is sleeved upon a stem 2B which extends exteriorly of the housing and is provided with a grip 2I by means of which the pin may be withdrawn to permit removal of the respective roller from the bracket I4.

The bracket I5, as best shown in Figures l and 7, is provided Withbearings 22 which rotatably receive shafts 23 for driving both of the rollers. The end of each shaft is enlarged as shown at 24 and enters a recess 25 in the end of the respective roller. Pins 26 project radially from the enlarged end 24 and are received in a groove 2l in the end of the roller to connect the shaft and the roller for rotation as a unit.

For rotating the rollers an electric motor 28 is mounted on the bracket i5 by bolts 29, or other connectors, as best shown in Figures l and 3.

The shaft of the motor is equipped with a worm 30 which meshes with a Worm gear 3i xed to an intermediate portion of a shaft 32 which is journaled near the ends in bearings 33 that project outwardly from the bracket |5. The shaft is equipped at the ends with worm pinions 34 and 35 which mesh with worm gears 36 and 31 that are loose on the shafts of the rollers I8 and respectively.

The driving gears 36 and 31 are clutched to the shafts of the roller by respective clutch members, best shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6. Each clutch member comprises a grooved shift pulley 38 which is splined on the shaft 23 of the respective roller and is provided with an annular series of resilient fingers 39 which are adapted to engage in grooves 49 formed in a frusto-conical hub member 4| that is integral with the respective worm gear, as best shown in Figures l and '7.

rlihe clutches are shifted alternately into clutching position to reverse the direction of travel of the web during the return journey of the conveyance on its route. For this purpose a shaft 42 is journaled in bearings 43 'that are mounted on the bracket l5, as best shown in Figures l and 3. A shipper 44 is fixed to the shaft and is terminally equipped with forks 45 which enter the grooves of the pulleys 38.

The shaft 42 is equipped with a crank 48; as best shown in Figure 4. The crank is terminally equipped with a projection 41 having an opening 48 of sufficient diameter to loosely receive a rod 49 which is equipped with collars 58 that alternately engage the head 41 when the rod is shifted endwise and swing the crank to turn the shaft 42 to which the shipper 44 is fixed.

The rod 49 is shifted endwise by a solenoid, which as later will be explained is automatically controlled by switch devices carried by the web l2. The solenoid, as best shown in Figure 4, comprises two coils 5| and 52 disposed in alignment on a cylinder 53 having terminal iianges one of which is fixed to the bracket I5 by screws 54 or other connectors. The core 55 of the solenoid carries the rod 49 and moves the same endwise in accordance with which one of the coils 5| cr 52 is energized. l

As shown in Figures 3 and l0, a switch 59 is closed by the operator of the vehicle to start the motor and pay oif the web from one of the rollers and simultaneously wind up the web from the other roller; However, the closing of a door or some other movement within the vehicle may be utilized to start the motor. The motor is automatically stopped after lapse of a su'icient time period to permit the legend designating the next stop to appear at the sight opening of the station indicator. For this purpose a roller 51 is mounted on bracket arms 58 that are hinged as shown at 59 to stationary pivot members B9. The bracket arms are of a sufficient length to dispose the roller 51 to ride upon the web as it passes over the top of the upper roller I8, as best shown in Figure 3. The roller is driven by the web and when being driven it turns a'cam disc 8| which is integral with one end of the roller. As best shown in Figure 9, the cam disc is provided with a pair of pivoted cam fingers 82 which, during rotation of the disc, engage against respective stop pins 63 and are held thereby to project radially beyond the peripheral edge of the disc. The pins are so located that when the disc is rotated in either direction one of the pins will hold its respective finger in operative position while the other pin will permit its respective iinger to rock to inoperative position.

When in operative position the cam finger intercepts a leaf spring switch contact 64 and lifts Yrespective reversing relay 16.

the contact out of engagement with a stationary switch member 65 thereby breaking the circuit to the motor through the motor controlling relay and stopping rotation of the web at the proper point to display the desired legend.

The direction of travel of the web is automatically reversed to present the legends in proper sequence during the return journey of the vehicle. To accomplish this switch contacts 66 and 61, of magnetic metal, are disposed on the web adjacent to the ends thereof, as best shown in Figures 8 and 12. A permanent horseshoe magnet having legs 68, as best shown in Figure 2, is secured by a stationary clamp plate 69 in position to underlie the path of travel of the contacts 66 and 61.- As best shown in Figure 8, a pair of aligned short switch contacts 1D and 1| are arranged upon an insulating strip 12 which is secured to the permanent magnet by bolts 13. Also, although not shown except diagrammatically in Figure 10, a long switch contact 14 is disposed on the insulating strip parallel with and spaced from the switch contacts 10 and 1 I.

When the web is wound up upon the roller I!) the contact 68 will bridge the long contact 14 and short contact 10 and,V being of magnetic metal, Will be attracted by the permanent horseshoe magnet, to make a good electrical connection and close a circuit to a respective reversing relay 15, later described. Conversely when the web is wound up upon the roller l the switch contact 81 will bridge the long switch contact 14 and the short switch contact 1| and close a circuit to a These reversing relays merely select which one of the coils on the reversing solenoid will be energized.

By referring now to Figure 10 it will be seen `that a motor controlling relay 11Y has one end of its coil connected to the trip switch 84 by a circuit wire 18`the other end of its coil being connected by a circuit wire -19`to the switch contact 85. The resilient switch contact 64 is connected by a wire 88 to one of the current supply wires 8| while the other current supply wire 82 is connected byla wirer83 to the trip switch 84- Which is connected by a Wire 85 to the time limit Switch 56. Y

`VWhen the manually Y operated or automatic switch 84 is closed, a circuit may be traced through the wiresjust described to energize the coil of the motor relay and move'the armature 86 of the relay against a Vpair of back contacts 81 one of which is connected by circuit wires 88 and 89 to the current supply wire 82. The other back contact is connected by circuit wires and 6 to one terminal of the motor 1 while the other terminal of the motor isconnected by a circuit wire 8 to the current supply wire 8|. Consequently when the motor relay coil is energized the motor circuit will be closed at the back contacts 81 through the circuits just traced and the motor will start.

)When the timing switch finger 62 opens the circuit through the relay coil by lifting the resilient contact 84 the motor relay coil vwill be de-energized and will break the motor circuit at the back contact 81 to stop rotation of the web at the proper place to display the desired legend.

The time limit switch 56 is a magnetically operated switch having a coil 90 one end of which is connected by a wire 9| to thersupply wire 8| and the otherI end of which is connected by a wire 92 to the wire 6 of the motor circuit. When the motor circuit is open the magnetic Vtime switch is open and keeps the motor circuit open and the motor circuit cannot be closed again after an operation until the time limit switch closes anywhere from ten second to two minute intervals after each operation. The reason for this is that if the indicator is operated by the closing of a door and it is necessary to open the door again to let a passenger on or ol, the indicator cannot be tripped within the time setting of the time limit switch.

"I'o keep the relay 11 closed after the operator has removed his finger from the trip switch 84, there is a jumper connection 4 between the wire 'I8 and the armature 86 that energizes the coil on the relay 11 as soon as the motor circuit is closed at the back contacts 81.

'I'he reversing relay 1B has one end of its coil connected by a circuit wire 93 to the short switch contact 1| on the horseshoe permanent magnet. The other end of its coil is connected by wires 94 and 95 to the before mentioned wire 89. The relay is provided with a pair of back contacts 96 one of which is connected by a circuit wire 91 to the coil 5| of the reversing solenoid. The other is connected to the Wire 95.

When the switch contact 61 on the web bridges the long stationary contact 14 and the short stationary contact 1|, the reversing relay 16 is energized to close a circuit at the back contacts 96 through the reversing solenoid coil 5| and reverse the direction of travel of the web as previously described.

To again reverse travel of the web when the vehicle resu-mes its outbound journey the contact 66 on the web will be in position to bridge the long contact 14 and short contact 10 of the horseshoe magnet and energize the reversing relay 15, which has back contacts 98 electrically connected in circuit with the coil 52 of the reversing solenoid. Consequently when the relay 15 is energized the coil 52 of the reversing solenoid will be energized to reverse direction of travel of the web. The long contact 14 of the permanent horseshoe magnet is connected by a circuit wire 99 with the circuit wire 83 of the motor and through this long switch contact both of the short switch contacts 19 and 1| are supplied with current and selectively bridged by the web switch contacts 56 and 61.

In lieu of the manually operated switch 84 a conventional mercury switch |09, shown irl-Figure 11, may be operated by opening or closing movement of the vehicle door |9| and to this end the switch may be carried on a centrally pivoted bracket arm |02 which is struck by a pin |03 to tilt the mercury switch to circuit closing position as will be understood.

As shown best in Figure 8 a bulb |64 may be mounted in a suitable sprocket |05` that is attached to a stationary bracket |416 for illuminating the displayed legend.

Since the operation of the device has been described as the description of the parts progressed, it is thought that the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrically controlled station indicator comprising a web! displaying the names of stations, rollers upon which the ends of the web are wound, brackets supporting the rollers, respective clutches connected to the rollers, a shipper for alternately clutching one clutch and declutching the other clutch, an electric motor geared to said clutches for driving the rollers, a circuit for the motor, a switch in said circuit, a relay controlling said circuit, means for holding the relay circuit closed when said switch is open, a timing roller frictionally engaging the web above one of the web supporting rollers and having yielding cam projections, a circuit in which the coil of said relay is connected, a switch on the last named circuit opened by said cam projection to de-energize the relay and open the motor circuit when the web has advanced each station naine into View after said manually operable switch is closed, and a time limit switch in the motor circuit preventing closing of the motor circuit until lapse of a predetermined time period after each actuation. i

2. An electrically operated station indicator comprising superposed rollers, a web carried by the rollers and displaying station names, an electric motor, means connected to the motor for driving the rollers alternately, means including clutches on the rollers for de-clutching one roller and simultaneously clutching the other roller to reverse the direction of travel of the web, a solenoid having two coils, a core for the solenoid connected to said reversing means, respective circuits for said coils, relays having back contacts in said circuits, circuits including the coils of said relays, and switches in the last named circuits closed by the web selectively when at or near the end of its travel in either direction for energizing the relay coils selectively to selectively close the circuits to the coils of said solenoid.

JOHN W. LEE. 

